[VIDEO] Hold Climate Change Down Through Music

Youth activists took the stage at the International Civil Society Week 2017, University of The South Pacific, Fiji. From the beginning, storytelling was highlighted as a strong tool for the representatives to promote the climate movement. Case-in-point, Chris Sealys’ dancing, accompanied by a video about climate change showed the impact of storytelling, through the arts, through music, in affecting people’s hearts and behaviour toward climate change.

His moves melted the serious atmosphere as all eyes were glued to him. The rhythm of the music had the participants enthralled. A member of the Caribbean Youth Environment Network, a regional youth-led environmental organisation, Chris promoted the 1.5 To Stay Alive campaign, encouraging onlookers that together we can hold down increasing temperatures.

The principal and most critical negotiating point for Saint Lucia and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) is to ensure that the quantum of global Green Houses Gas (GHG) emissions entering the environment remain at levels which will keep future increases in global temperature well below 1.5 celsius degree.

The Caribbean released this song at the Climate Conference COP 21 in Paris. The theme song calls on the world to recognize and respect the legitimate claims of small islands in the face of climate change.

“Even though they couldn’t understand or sing all of the words, at least they moved their body. After they moved their body, they just realized what were they listen to,” Chris said.

He said music is universe tool, when you hear the music you never feel pain.

Chris explained when he was working in the community, he realized the struggle Caribbean countries face to access climate finance. His community has pushed for initiatives to decrease climate change impacts. In seeking assistance for this, Chris explained that it was important to bring home the point of urgency in climate action in the Caribbean.

With just $10.000, Chris’ community funded the campaign video.

“We invited the well-known singers in the Caribbean are Arthur and Mongstar for this charity project. Fortunately, they wanted to sing abo the environment,” he explained.

The project was finished on 15 days. “It was very short production, time limited because we worked with artists who have a busy schedule,” he said. This video already went to COP 21 in Paris in 2015. The video has reached countries all around the world. Chris just evaluated this video by how many people have watched on Youtube. Caribbean Youth Environment Network had used this video to build its petition for climate policy. They managed to collect 750 number petitions. Its was submitted to the chief Caribbean negotiator for climate change during COP 21.

About Dwi Jayanthi

Dwi is a Balinese woman passionate on youth community, environment and journalism. She graduated with a degree in chemistry.